ESSEX ground to a halt as 90 mile an hour winds battered the county, tearing down trees, ripping off roofs and stopping virtually all transport.
With echos of wartime conditions, drivers were warned by Essex Police to stay at home yesterday unless their journey was absolutely necessary, leaving many main roads deserted for most of the day.
The high winds swept across the south of England and Wales during the night reaching speeds of 100mph. High sided lorries were felled along British motorways and power lines were brought down leaving towns and villages without power.
Emergency calls to the county's fire service and police reached an all time peak with Essex Fire and Rescue control room receiving over ten times as many calls as it usually would on a quiet Sunday.
For full story see Monday's Echo...
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